If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the forum FAQ and the House Rules and Forum Guidelines.
You will have to register before you can post. If you find your registration is rejected, please try again using a different username. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

We started this month off in much of the same fashion as last month, 3 losses including an early exit from the cup. But the month ended with two massive wins, especially the 3-1 win over our fierce rivals FC Kobenhaven. It was great to get these two wins in as it looked as if we weren’t going to get a win from anywhere but then to get two in a row was brilliant. The two victories were all down to the return of Stefan Hanseninto the back line, adding some much needed solidarity.

The transfer window ended with one more signing, Felix Dornebusch a German goalkeeper to come in alongside Jensen. So far he has been average but he is just settling in and has the right attributes to at least be a good player for the club.

The club is also in the midst of its second takeover attempt of the season, a Danish businessman looking to seize control of the club for around 1.2M. Hopefully he is a rich businessman that will pump some money into the club!

An absolutely atrocious month that saw us lose every single fixture, we really do look destined for relegation. The players just aren’t performing, which is glaringly obvious from the results. We can’t defend, we can’t score which means that we will never win to be quite honest. I’m really struggling to find out what is going wrong, perhaps another formation change is in order. I wouldn’t mind if we were challenging teams but we’re not and it’s playing havoc with the morale in the squad, not to mention my own.

October really was a horrible month for the club so I was looking for us to bounce back in November. To do this I was looking for a change in tactic and I opted for a tactic that my own club side uses, it definitely is an unusual one though. It’s a tactic that relies on being very solid at the back whilst allowing the front three very relaxed and free roles. The two wing backs create width at the back but also are responsible for keeping the oppositions wingers at bay. The two defensive midfielders sit back and win the ball, then finding the front three as quickly as possible. The front two attacking midfielders also have a defensive job, closing down the full backs as quickly as possible. Overall the tactic focuses on a high tempo, high pressing game.

I witnessed the benefits from the change almost instantly, we held the ball better and looked more stable at the back. We got our first win in 6 league games at Silkeborg, a battling 1-0 victory. This then led us into the next game against the current league holders and we managed to pull off an amazing 2-0 upset, in the meantime setting a club record 3 games without conceding. The tactic appeared to be working how I wanted it to and now things are looking up.

December was only a short month and we started it with a good win over fellow relegation candidates, a dominant 3-1 win. However, we couldn’t continue with our recent form against Kobenhavn. We were completely dominated and lost our first game in four, a 3-0 loss sending us crashing back down to earth. Now we have to wait 3 months for our next competitive outing as the winter break has approached us, what was that 500K investment for undersoil heating for then, Mr. Chairman? Pointless if you ask me.

Throughout the break I'll have a look through my scouting reports and see if there are any players worth signing, either now or at the end of the season. The building towards turning professional status starts now so I will be looking to keep the bank balance healthy, it currently sits at 3.25M. Maybe I can tempt the new chairman into investing more in my youth facilities and junior coaching but he didn't seem too keen last time.

It is a long winter break here in Denmark and one that I am still not used to. I arranged some friendlies just to keep the players sharp during the winter months, results from these weren’t important. The first game back was a thrilling one against Randers FC in which we won 3-2 with a 87th minute goal, a great result. Next up was giants OB and we managed to hold them to a goalless draw, at their own ground! AGF were next up and we posted a scrappy 1-0 victory which finally took us out of the relegation zone but we were lucky to not venture back into it with two disappointing losses to round out the month. But finally we have put some space in between us and the relegation zone, for the first time in a while.

March also saw the incoming of some new youth candidatesand there were a couple of decent prospects. Daniel Christensen is another attacking midfielder and there is also Brian Ehlers, a right midfielder with a superb first touch. Hopefully both will progress well under the new clubs professional status, which will allow them to train more often.

It is definitely squeaky bum time here in Denmark and we currently hold a 4 point cushion over the 11th placed side, going into the last three games of the season. And that is a good gap for us considering the poor month we have just endured, with three losses and a fortunate win. It is time for the likes of Lee Cable and Mladen Cosic to step up and lead us into our third successive season in the top flight. However, we don't have an easy run in coming up against Kobenhavn and Randers FC in the last two games, which means we will have to take advantage of our next clash against already relegated FC Nordsjaelland.

This month saw me reach 600 games in management, a huge achievement personally as I have never gotten this far before. I was therefore expecting a present from my players and they only just delivered with a win which meant we were all but safe from relegation and will play in the Superliga next year. In the final two games of the season it was as if the players had already gone on holiday, knowing that the job had almost been done. Velje Kolding drew their first game of the run in and then were smashed by league champions Brondby, condoning them to the second tier. Maybe it would have been a different story for them this season if they hadn’t made it into the DBU Pokalen final, losing on penalties to OB.

SuperligaResults 1 – Results 2 – Player StatsMy expectations for the league this season were again to avoid relegation and much like last season we did, only just. Throughout the season we were very inconsistent pulling off some massive upsets whilst getting hammered by sides that we shouldn’t really have done. Although you can’t fault the teams effort this season and we have yet again defied the odds by avoiding relegation and all this with a top goal scorer with only 5 goals to his name.Champions: Brondby
Relegated: Vejle Kolding, FC Nordsjaelland

DBU PokalenMy team struggles as it is without the effects of an extra cup competition so I am not too bothered about our performance in this one. We were knocked out in the 3rd round against AB but I don’t look back in anger.Winners: OB
Runners Up: Vejle Kolding

Player of the Season – Mladen CosicThe young Serbian centre back didn’t start off the season well but has blossomed into an important role in the first team. He is very solid at the back but seemingly has a knack for goal scoring 3 this season, all from set pieces. He has been awarded my player of the season for his 5 man of the match performances and I’m hoping that I can keep a hold of him for next season.

FinancesThe club is well off at this point in time with 3.5M in the bank, preparing itself for turning professional come the start of next season. This will allow me to offer more wages to better players and coaches, which will in turn help us climb the Superliga ladder. We are currently spending only 600K on wages whereas the bottom side this year spent 1.9M and Kobenhavn, a Danish powerhouse spending 9M per annum. We have done well to remain where we are.

Previous Clubs
Stoke City: It was a massive season for my former side, they were in the Champions League for another season and we hoping to push on in the league. However things didn’t go to plan for Deco in the league and he was sacked midway through the season for their lowly league position but he did manage to keep them in the CL. It’s nice to see the board being consistent with their decisions regarding managers. Van den Brom took over and he led them up until the end of the season into 8th position. It was clear that they were focusing on the champions league and they made it all the way into the final! Unfortunately for them they came up against a very strong Real Madrid side and they lost 1-0 but they certainly didn’t embarrass themselves. What an achievement it was and I like to think that it was somewhat down to my previous endeavours at the club.

Atalanta: They have struggled since I left, much like I did but this season was a better one for them. They managed a 7th place finish, narrowly missing out on a Europa League spot by 1 point. They also made it into the semi-final of the TIM Cup, only to be defeated by eventual winners Napoli.

What Next for HB Koge?As mentioned before we turn professional next season so things will be changing around here. I really need to set up a good group of coaching staff and scouts because we really lack in this department. I will also be sorting out the playing group and getting rid of any players that I feel cannot step up into becoming a mid-table side. It might also be time to cash in on some of the youngsters I have brought in who simply don’t fit into the club but are worth a bit of money. As with the progression of full time status, new training regimes will be created for the players in order to get the best out of them as some of the young players progress’ has stalled due to not being able to train full time. All in all, the club as a whole should become better as a whole and be able to challenge for the European spots.

One of my busiest transfer windows I have ever had and it was much needed in order to improve this year. The media still rank us as relegation candidates so we’re out to prove them wrong yet again, when will they learn? Several players’ contracts ran out during the off season which left the squad quite depleted so the turnover of players was massive; let’s hope this doesn’t affect the team blend too much.

Malte Clemens – He was released from Bayern Munich at the end of last year so he clearly has some potential. My assistant manager ranks him as one of the best players at the club and he still has many years of improvement to come.

Gudjon Gudjonsson – Another young centre back with bags of potential that will add to my already young squad. I can already see a pattern developing here.

Luis Flores – My most exciting signing of the season and one that has been on the back burners for a while, having agreed a fee early last season. I just really wanted to surprise you all when the time came. Flores is an explosive striker who will, if all goes to plan, become my 30 goal a season player – he did score 20 last year at the mere age of 17. A star in the making, perhaps?

Johannes Juntunen – You guessed it another young player that has joined this season, he can play all through the centre in midfield.

Hugo Cavazzi – I desperately needed a keeper and I couldn’t find many quality ones in my price range so this guy was a massive gamble. The Argentine plied his trade in Wrexham, in a low English league but he is of Superliga standard, naturally.

Lennart Moldvaer – He will add to my strike force and will provide a different type of game to that of Flores’, I’m hoping he is the surprise package of the season.

Nermin Eklund – Another keeper, this time a 22 year old who can improve and become better than Cavazzi.

Yassine Yildrim – I really broke the bank to get this guy, I was in dire need of a left back as my old one didn’t cut it. Against the odds I managed to sign Yildrim who is of real quality, although my fans are already angered at him after he claimed, ‘I only see HB Koge as a stepping stone onto bigger things.’ That’s fine by me; he will have to perform if he wants to cross that path.

Bengui M’Voule – He is a solid left back who will come in as back up to M’Voulle, I only expect him to be solid, nothing more nothing less.

This is what my team looks like now, a young side with quality throughout. Flores and Clemens are clearly the stand outs but it will take time for them to settle in so I am not expecting any immediate fireworks from them. I don’t want to be waiting too long for them to perform though, I really need results now and I’m not going into the winter break in the midst of a relegation battle for another year. I am a little concerned about the youthful essence to my side, will they be able to cut it on the ‘big’ stage.

An appalling start to the season as we were on the end of two thumping’s, 3-0 and 6-0. I can only hope that this isn’t a sign of things to come and it is just some early teething problems that come with a squad overhaul. We were absolutely terrible in defence and our new striker Flores was out with an injury in both games which meant we couldn’t score either. Things are going to have to change soon if I can challenge for a European spot this season. It looks a long, long way away at this moment in time though.

One new player came in this month, Wojciech Bochenek a right back that arrived from Leyton Orient for a fee of 120K. The ability to scout the whole of Europe has given me a massive pool of players to choose from now but I still can’t find high quality players on the cheap. Maybe I’m just too picky!

Another disappointing month in the league and I am really dumbfounded on how I am going to turn this around. We’re really struggling this season, more so than the last and I supposedly have a better team! We managed to finally get a win against fellow relegation candidates AC Horsens but even that took up until the 85th minute to come through. I had hoped that this was the turning point but a 93rd minute goal in the next game meant a 2-1 loss and not a turn in the right direction. We got another win in the cup but we should have won by more so I am really disappointed in that as it shows that we lack any ruthlessness that will aid us in our apparent fight for relegation.

September was a busy month for the club and that gave even more teams the chance to defeat us. I really am in struggle town now and I’m running out of ideas, I’ve even contemplated jumping ship but I feel as if this team can bring me some success. At least we won a game in the league this month, a 12th minute winner from Cosic handing us only our second league victory of the season. Before this we also got a spirited 2-2 draw against Viborg, a return to form from club captain Jan Budtz helping us on our way. We also took part in the DBU Pokalen this month, recording a good 4-0 hammering against lower league opposition. This has done wonders for our morale, the whole team had poor morale but now they have a more upbeat look about themselves, most players with a good to superb morale status. However, morale clearly doesn’t get results.

The last thing I needed this month was to come up against four of the best teams in the league. It was to my surprise that we got 2 draws out of 3, whilst unfortunately crashing out of the cup. I see these two points as points gained that I wasn’t expecting, rather than more dropped points and to be honest I’ll take anything at this point in time. We were much better in defence this month but we lack any sort of firepower up front, Flores failing to make the impact that I had expected of him. As the winter break and transfer window approaches I’ll be on the lookout for an experienced goal scorer. I actually cannot wait for the winter break either, it will give me time to analyse where I have been going wrong and how I’m supposed to correct it. We really need to get out of this rut.

November brought us more success than previous months, 4 points out of a possible 9 but with a good win over AC Horsens and a well-earned draw with AGF. A Flores hat-trick in AC game ending his drought and what a three goals they were, he showed his pace and dribbling skills to mesmerise the oppositions defence. However, even though we beat AC Horsens we now find ourselves below them at the foot of the table. They won the two games after us, 4-0 and 7-4, unfortunately for us seemingly finding some goal scoring touch. We’re now 7 points adrift of the 10th place side, OB who always seem to have a slow first half of the season anyway. The next two games before the winter break are going to be crucial to our survival and should we beat Brondby and Silkeborg, it will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season.

Only 2 games before the winter break and we were in desperate need of some points. Unfortunately for us we only added one point to our total which left us in the relegation zone and with yet another uphill battle on our hands. The point we did get was against a strong Brondby side, who had made it into the 1st KO round of the Europa League, we played admirably and deserved to come away with more than a point. Silkeborg posed a different challenge however and we lost to them 2-0 in complete contrast to the hard fought draw against Brondby. Yet again we remained inconsistent, or should I say consistent, consistently bad. I’m growing increasingly frustrated now but I really want to make the most of my time in Denmark.

I’ll start off by telling you what has happened over the lengthy break and what additions have been made to the squad. I really needed some experience to come in and they needed to have the ability to change games. The first of these was Damien Smolka, the 28 year old Czech coming into the side off the back of a long spell with Koln. Unfortunately he got injured in his first friendly which meant that he missed the whole of this month and only has 9 games to make an impact. The next player to come into the ranks was Julen Diez from Spain, he will add to my strike force as we continue our search for more goals; we’ve only scored 19 in the league this season. March also brought with it youth candidate day but I was allotted a poor group of players. The only player to ‘stand out’ was centre back Preben Nielsen and he only has a 3 star potential, not what I was hoping for on this day.

Onto the results in March, we struggled yet again and kicked off with two deserving losses at the hands of Viborg and Kobenhavn. In both games we were completely outclassed and lacked any sort of fight, as you would expect from a relegation battling side. However, things got slightly better when we forced a 1-1 draw with Esjberg, youngster Frederiksen getting the goal in the 13th minute. It was next that we faced fellow strugglers OB, in a huge relegation clash and you could tell by the football that was being played. A scrappy game with no real chances was decided by a dubious 70th minute penalty for us, Clemens tucking it away with consummate ease, taking us with 2 victories of escaping the relegation zone and only 3 points behind OB.

Well that was a much better month for HB Koge but you could say that for every other team around us too! We managed a massive 8 points out of 15 possible points and that took us to within one 1 point of AC Horsens and only 2 points off of OB. At the start of the month we worked hard for our two draws against two of the top sides, especially the 3-3 draw with AaB where we came from behind to lead 3-2 only for them to score 5 minutes after we took the lead. Then came the expected loss of the month, an early Randers FC goal consigning us to our first defeat in four games. We soon got back into ‘form’ though with a crucial win over AC Horsens, a dominating 2-0 victory. We looked in good shape going into the next match but AC pulled off an upset in the next set of fixtures, beating AaB 4-2, extending their lead to 4 points. We had to win the next game to give us some hope and we did so disposing of AGF at their ground, 2-0 meaning we go into the last month 1 point behind, with four games left. Come on HB Koge!

Tough half season ahead. Have you got any older heads in your team? What's your determination and influence values like throughout the team?

It's alright I would say but definitely not what I want it to be, when I scout I look for those with high determination. On the other hand influence it quite poor and I don't really have any leaders in the team.

Out of that I would say that we definitely have the hardest run in. We have to play both Brondby and Kobenhavn who are in the top 3 and we don’t have a chance to take points off any of the other clubs around us. Esbjerg has a cup final to prepare for so that could mean a lot in the context of things; will they want to play a full strength side in the league? OB has the opportunity to take points off both AC Horsens and Esbjerg and if they do that they are guaranteed survival. The pundits are tipping us and Esbjerg for the drop, so let’s go out and prove them wrong.

Well, well, well, I’ve been relegated for the first time in my career and I can tell you this, it’s not a good feeling. To be fair to us we did battle all up until the end and it took the champions FC Kobenhavn to send us down, as they beat us 3-2 in the final game of the season. I was right in predicting that us and Esbjerg were going down, AC Horsens grabbing a win on the final day moving them out and up into safety. OB were safe with a game to go when they beat AC Horsens at home 2-1, leaving the relegation battle in the hands of 3 teams.

Sacked.

With this I was sacked because I had failed to meet the boards expectations of avoiding relegation. Unfortunately I couldn’t repeat the feats of the previous season, where we avoided relegation by a few points on both occasions. Now I’ll be looking for a new job but who knows where I will end up. Bristol City have just been promoted to the Premier League, their manager Terry Butcher winning the playoff final then retiring soon after. It would have been an emotional day for him.

I kind of fancy taking over a Championship club and getting them promoted, the excitement surrounding these seasons is electric and I would love to be involved in it. Spain is a country that I haven’t ventured into yet and the Basque club, Athletic Bilbao presents an intriguing challenge with their unusual transfer policy. Germany is also an option and some of the best youth’s I have had throughout my career have come from here so it would be great to be at the forefront of their development.

International management has come into my thinking but I never seem to enjoy it. If I do decide to venture onto the International stage, it will only be for a short stint.

SuperligaResults 1 – Results 2 – Player StatsThis was my worst season in charge at HB Koge but everything was shaping up for it to be my best. We had just turned from a part-time club into a full time club, we now had the resources to be a real part of the Superliga. The squad in my opinion was a great deal better than that of last season but if there was one thing we lacked it was experience. This showed throughout the season and we only recorded 7 wins and posted out lowest points total in three years. Whenever we did show some sort of form, a loss would be right around the corner. It was real relegation form.Champions: FC Kobenhavn
Relegated: Esbjerg fB, HB Koge

DBU PokalenAgain we were knocked out early from this competition at the hands of a much better side, Brondby beating us 1-0 in the 4th round.Winners: Esbjerg fB
Runners Up: Silkeborg

Player of the Season – Malte Clemens
He was easily my best player this season but he still couldn’t drag the whole team over the line. His 12 goals and 4 assists earning him four MOM awards. I expect him to move to a much bigger club in the summer and I might even have a say in where he goes. He is dubbed the next Bastian Schweinstiger after all.

Previous Clubs
Stoke City: Stoke went through yet another manager this season, van den Brom being replaced by Ronny Levy, former Everton and Israel manager. He guided Stoke to a miserable 12th place finish but in his first year at the helm won the Carling Cup to save their season and enter them into the Europa League next season. Janusz Staszewskia and Markus Meyer remain integral to his squad whilst former key players Delph and Begovic left the club, Delph only on loan to Everton for the season.

Atalanta: Yet again they had another poor season finishing only two places above the relegation zone. They seem to be a club that no one is having any luck with, maybe the whole structure of the club itself needs to change? They couldn’t even make it past the 1st round of the cup.

What Next for Liam Hurst?Time and time again I have been in this situation, one thing is for sure though, I am predictably unpredictable with my next destination in management. I’ve gone from the heights of Champions League football with Stoke to being relegated from a Danish league. There are many places that interest me but I know that I will be leaving Denmark for now and if possible moving up to a higher standard of football. Or at least a place where the names are much easier to spell and pronounce!

Just been offered the Bristol City job who have just won promotion to the Premier League. They have offered me a 9k p/w contract with 17M transfer budget and 300k wage budget. I might delay and see what championship jobs show up as I fancy a go at getting someone promoted from the prem and building myself.

Bill Shankly \'If you are first you are first. If you are second you are nothing.\'

Posts

1,991

Lack of leaders in your team appeared to cost you. One thing I've noticed in my save, is mental attributes are absolutely crucial. You can have all the talent in the world, but if your not mentally adept, you'll fail.

Dissapointing to see you went down but looking forward to see where you end up next.

Cheers guys, I can't wait for the new season!

Originally Posted by Nobby_McDonald

Oh dear. Not good. Your finger got dirty in your squeaky bum.

It really was, I couldn't quite get it out in time.

Originally Posted by williamshankley

Lack of leaders in your team appeared to cost you. One thing I've noticed in my save, is mental attributes are absolutely crucial. You can have all the talent in the world, but if your not mentally adept, you'll fail.

I'll assure you that my next team will be much tougher mentally!

Originally Posted by cerud

Tough to go down, especially after battling so close all season. The Bristol job, however, could be interesting. You would be in a fight to keep them up and to eventually compete in the Premiership.

This was the only real job offer I got during my time off and I knew that from previous experience, you have to move quickly. Bristol City have just been promoted from the Championship after winning a thrilling play-off final at Wembley against Cardiff, beating the Welsh side 3-1. This will be their second season ever in the Premier League, their previous venture ending in relegation as they finished with only 23 points. I’m hoping that I will be able to do better than this but my sole aim will be to avoid relegation. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. The media don’t expect me to avoid relegation and are predicting that we will finish 19th. This could well happen if I don’t make the right signings and play the correct brand of football. I want to dominate teams at home with a quick passing, high pressing game but on our away trips we need to be solid a go for the smash and grab.

The club still remains at Ashton Gate, the 120 year old, 22 thousand seater stadium so maybe we will be an ideal candidate for a new stadium in the future. The facilities are also very poor here with average ratings across the board, I will look to improve these facilities in my time here.

Transfer Budget – 17M
Wage Budget – 300K

Transfers

Ali Riza KiyakHe is one of the most exceptional keepers in the World at the moment but he has been at a small Cypriot club for some reason. If you can remember I was going to sign him for Stoke a while back but turned that down because of his astronomical wage demands. At least now he has been more realistic with his wage, he’s only on 33K per week.

Marvin CowleyHe is a player with a little premier league experience as he started off his career with Southampton before moving to Chelsea. At Chelsea he failed to feature much and was sent out on loan for much of his time there. Bolton took him on a free a couple of years back and again he didn’t play much. I will hopefully rekindle his career at Bristol City and give him a better chance in the league.

Istvan BuacHe is my most expensive signing of the window, coming in for 6.5M from recently relegated Birmingham. In my opinion he really does ooze class and at only 21 has a lengthy career at the top ahead of him. He can play both central midfield and right midfield which means that he can slot into both my chosen formations with ease.

Diego BergstromBergstrom comes in as another centre mid to bolster my survival hopes. He was a cheap deal at only 1.1M but let’s hope that his fee doesn’t dictate the impact that he can have. He is mentally strong as well so I will be looking to him to provide tutoring to some of the younger players at the club.

Kirk AdamsThe club lacked quality at right back, in fact we didn’t really have any full backs at the club so it was something that I needed to press on with. Adams came in from Everton having been forced out by the club on the back of several loan spells.

John LinesHe is another right back and will share the duty with Adams. Lines is a completely different player to Adams and can be described an attacking full back who will bring another dynamic to the team. He doesn’t have any premier league experience but is much better than the standard of his previous club, League One side Fulham.

Lennart AdelborgThe Danish winger has been an integral part of the Danish national side recently but couldn’t make the same impact at Wolfsburg in Germany. Upon signing though I have been told that he may be a little injury prone but maybe his worst days are past him. Time will tell.

As you can see the players that I have signed in this transfer window all have a decent attribute rating for determination which will be integral to keeping our heads above water. I have done this because last year I felt that the players that I signed for Koge, lacked this vital attribute which in my opinion was the reason for my relegation. The key to being a better manager is learning from your mistakes and I feel that I have done that.

Squad

The squad as a whole looks much better than I arrived and the new additions will fit in well with determined nature of the squad. I decided to keep on some of the older players in the squad because experience can be invaluable in the Premier League and it shows them some respect for getting them this far. Success this season is going to be built upon a solid centre back pairing and the ability to take out chances when we get them and I feel that I have the players that can do this. So does my new assistant manager, Frank Lampard.

The season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start against Newcastle, a brace from front man Filipe aiding us on our way to a 3-1 victory. It was the performance from new signing Buac that caught the leagues attention though, scoring a curled free kick within 5 minutes of his debut and then going on to set up the next two. That was a great first result for the home fans but we haven’t won in the league since losing out to Blackburn, Man Utd and Southampton. However we were unlucky in these games as we were not outplayed and matched the sides in terms of possession, just not being able to create many chances. We also played the first two rounds of the Carling Cup progressing easily with the use of some fringe players and now we will face Liverpool at Anfield in the fourth round.

On the transfer front I brought in two defenders to bulk up the squad, both Englishmen coming in for free. First was ex-Aston Villa left back Rory Kendall, arriving as a back-up to Gibson as I don’t feel he is good enough to challenge for a starting spot but I really needed cover. The second player was youngster Dave Adams, a centre back who began his career at Man City and has the potential to be much better than my current centre backs.

I was expecting Arsenal to be a much tougher challenge than they were and we pulled off a massive upset, beating them 2-0 in the first game of October. It was a great performance, with two first half goals and 55% of possession over a team like Arsenal. We couldn’t build on this unfortunately and lost the next two league games by tight margins and in my opinion we deserved to win both of them as we again dominated the game. Although you don’t get anywhere with just possession, we failed to turn it into chances, something that is becoming increasingly noticeable. We played Liverpool for the second time this month, coming up against them in the League Cup. We were totally outclassed and we were lucky not to lose by more. It is imperative that we get a few wins in November, just to keep morale up in the team.

November became a great month for us as we picked up 3 wins out of 5, to keep us clear of the relegation zone and up in mid-table. It started off with an exhilarating game against Sunderland, the final score 4-3. We charged out of the blocks, 3-0 up within the first 27 minutes of the game with two goals from Filipe and a simple goal for Adelborg. Sunderland pulled one back before Adelborg scored his second of the game, an absolute cracker from 35 yards out. 4-1 and you would have thought it was all over but no, Sunderland weren’t finished and fought till the end pulling it back to 4-3, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats. Fortunately for us we held on to grab the win in a hectic game. We followed this up with a scrappy victory over Bolton, Filipe adding another two goals to his tally for the season. I can officially declare Man City as my bogey team, with Stoke I was always smashed by them and the same can be said about our 3-0 loss to them. This was only a blip and we returned to winning ways with a last gasp winner over Middlesbrough, delighting the fans. That was all the good news over for the month as we literally rolled over for West Ham, putting in a sub-par performance. But still it was a great month for us and now I go into December without the winter break, which is a welcome change.

As you can see it was a great month for us but it still could’ve been even better, had we won the games we were expected to. The month started off with a solid 1-0 victory over Huddersfield, in which we dominated for the whole game, failing to put away the chances we had. Tottenham were next and to my surprise we pulled off an amazing counter attacking victory, coming out as 3-1 victors. We only had 41% of possession in this game but we were lethal when we went forward. Chelsea provided us with much more even game and we both had chances to win the game. Fortunately for me we took one of our chances, underperforming Decock applying a deftly executed finish to earn us the three points. The next two games were ones that you would expect us to win because of our recent scalps. However, as is football we lost the next two failing to make any chances against Everton, whilst completing dominating WBA but not being able to make any of our 17 chances count.

Overall, a good month for the club and now we can look forward to the second half of the season, continuing the bid to avoid relegation.

It was a very average month compared to the last one but we still managed to remain in more or less the same position. The month started off with a very even game at home to Blackburn, both goals coming within 5 minutes of each other. Then came our second 1-1 draw of the month, another tight game against a decent Newcastle side who have been underperforming this season. Our first win came in the FA Cup, we dispatched of Stockport 2-0 sending us into the next round of the prestigious cup. We returned to the Premier League against Man Utd but their very good team easily beat us 2-0 and handed us our first loss of the month. We responded magnificently though, recording a 1-0 win over my former side Stoke, who were in a great run of form. To cap off the busy month was a 4th round FA Cup tie against Charlton and I paid the price for playing a weakened side, drawing the game 1-1, Charlton forcing the game into a replay.

Only one win in the league this month but we’re still well clear of the relegation zone. Going by the previous season’s, 35 points is usually enough to secure a spot in the league next season but I want 40 plus. There are plenty of games left to do so.

During the transfer window I made one move, bringing in German Montero from my old club Atalanta. I am hoping that he brings some more goals to my strike force as we are severely lacking in that department.

An absolutely appalling month for us, scoring only one goal and failing to post one victory. We were even knocked out of the FA Cup in a surprise loss against Charlton. We kicked off the month with one of the most drab football matches ever, a 0-0 draw with a weak Burnley side and this started off our poor run. Arsenal smashed us 3-0 even after going down to ten men at the 30 minute mark, we produced one of the worst displays of my tenure but it was coming. The FA Cup replay was next and again we put in another lack lustre performance, Charlton delighting their fans with a 2-0 victory in extra-time. We just couldn’t hold out till penalties, although we deserved to lose. Then followed another loss, 2-0 to Southampton in a game where we only made 2 chances to Southampton’s 17. We gained some rest bite from the defeats against Aston Villa, pulling off a 1-1 draw but we were still dominated and gained a fortunate result.

I was expecting to hit a poor run of form but we have simply forgotten how to play football. We have gone from dominating sides to being given our own lessons. I only hope that we can somehow find a goal scoring touch or we will soon be plummeting down the table, into the relegation zone.

After what was an abysmal winless last month we have gone through the whole of March unbeaten pulling off some amazing results along the way. The game against Liverpool was one of two halves, in the first they went up 2-0 and it looked as if we were down and out by then. To my surprise and delight we pulled one back and then got the next two minutes later. A great, character defining comeback. Another draw was on the cards against Sunderland but with both of us fighting against relegation, I was hoping on 3 points. The next game against Bolton is one where everything clicked, a 5-0 demolition giving us our first win in 8 games. Unlike usual, we took most of our chances and made Bolton pay for missing theirs, which was very welcome. The Bolton game had given us a new found confidence and that showed in the next match against league leaders, Man City. We pulled off an extraordinary result, beating them 2-0, Jarne Decock scoring an amazing solo goal on the counter attack.

That rounded off the month perfectly and means that only 3 points are needed in our next game to ensure safety. Who’d have thought we’d be safe with 6 games to go? However, we still need those 3 points but the next games couldn't be any easier with West Ham and Middlesbrough both in our way.

The club is also in the midst of a suspected internal takeover. I hope the new bloke is rich!

We could secure safety in our first game of the month and we did just that, earning a 1-1 draw with West Ham. We should have won the game but we conceded a penalty in the 96th minute, 3 minutes after time should have been up. This was enough to earn us another season in the top flight and it is a good feeling to be safe with so many games to go. We were not finished for the season; a high finish means more money for the club and we showed this by beating Middlesbrough 5-0 on their own turf, a great performance from the lads. However, we struggled in the next two games and succumbed to two losses, an extremely disappointing one at home to Huddersfield included.

Now that we are safe it is time to start focusing on next season and the improvements that need to be made to the squad. In my opinion we desperately need to improve up front but it is a problem that I have always had. I just wish I could find another Andras Nagy that will bang in 25+ goals a season and then everything else will fall into place. I even tried signing the man himself but he was after more wages than I could offer and in the end moved to some Saudi Arabian side, for 41K a week. The defence is ok but I will look for a beast of a centre back that I can rely on for the whole season. All in all the squad won’t change dramatically but will definitely have some key inclusions. I’m also expecting to invest in some youth as our own youth intake was shocking!

There is not too much I can comment on for this month really as we had already secured survival and these games were dead rubbers to be quite honest. We did give the fans a good sending off for the season though, beating Everton 2-1 on the final day and leaping above them into 12th. The extra money from that will be nice for the balance! I’m just going to get stuck into the season review.

Premier LeagueResults 1 – Results 2 – Player StatsIt was a brilliant come back to the Premier League for me and the club. A 12th place finish subduing our pre-season critics from the media and other managers. We not only finished in 12th but did so by playing some attractive football, dominating teams but lacking any sort of cutting edge which is something I’ll need to sort out next season. Our goal difference of ‘0’ highlighted our lack of fire power but showed how good our defence was throughout the season, with the 7th best defensive record. I’m not sure whether to keep the defence though, it has performed well above what I expected it to so there may be some signings made to improve it, if only slightly.

FA CupWe were disappointing in this competition, faltering to Charlton in a fourth round replay as we went through a bad patch. Arsenal went on to add their second trophy of the season defeating West Brom 1-0 in the final, fully deserving the plaudits coming their way.

Winners: Arsenal
Runners Up: West Bromwich Albion

Carling CupAnother cup tournament that we bowed out early from, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool sending us out in the quarter finals. Surprisingly the winners of this competition were Bolton, overcoming Chelsea 2-1 in the final and earning themselves a spot in the Europa League next season.

Winners: Bolton Wanderers
Runners Up: Chelsea

Player of the Season – Istvan BuacHe really came into his own throughout the season putting in good performances consistently. One of his best assets is his ability to find a key pass and this paid off as he assisted 13 of our goals during the season and contributing 4 of his own. Because of his good form he has been called up to the Serbian squad for the World Cup so I expect interest in him to increase over the months but hopefully I can keep him.

Other Notables

Bruno FilipeHe finished up as the top goal scorer for the club but he was out injured for much of the season due to little niggles. An injury prone player is not what I need at the club and with his contract running out at the end of next season; it may be time for him to move on, especially when he is demanding 69K per week to sign a new contract!

Jamie WestcottThe central defender was ever present for me this season and played a key role in my solid defensive record. He is a monster in the air and wins most, if not all aerial challenges so expect to see him at the club next season.

Previous Clubs
Stoke City: They really had an average season this year only managing a 7th place finish whilst not doing anything notable in the cups or Europe. Yet again they sacked their manager half way through the season which has become a scary thought for any new manager coming into the club. I’d expect that is on the mind of new manager, Marco van Basten.

Atalanta: A much better season for the Italian club, narrowly missing out on a Europa League spot finishing 8th in Serie A. They too sacked their manager just after Christmas and it proved to be a good move, the new man taking them from the relegation zone up into 8th.

HB Koge: They couldn’t bounce straight back up from relegation last season and came 5th in the league, a hugely disappointing season for them.

What next for Bristol City?I am going to say this now just to get it out of the way. Next season is going to be much tougher, teams will have probably figured us out and will take a much more cautious approach to games so I am going to have to think long and hard about what I want to do with the club next season. Realistically, I think that a similar position is achievable but with the right signings and a potent striker all that could change. I need to find these players though and as you know this has proven hard for me down the years. However, onwards and upwards!

Last season was a solid season for the club but I expect this season to be much harder when second season syndrome kicks in! Another season of consolidation will be good for us and so will a nice little cup run.

Gergo Vincze (ST) – Purchased for a measly 525K, Vincze comes into the club as a decent back up striker, with deadly finishing.

Jose Mendoza (ST) – Another striker to add to the squad but he is definitely coming in as a first team player. The Ecuadorian was performing well in the top league in Ecuador but will he be able to make the huge step up into the Premier League.

Kristian Weitzer (ST) – Well yes, another striker and maybe I’ve gone a bit overboard on the agenda. However, this player came in on a free after being released from Man Utd and he has all the attributes to becoming a great striker for the club…along with the other two.

Nasser Nabeel Ghaloom (CB) – A long winded name for the Qatari but a beast of a defender. Not what you would expect from a country such as Qatar. He was 5M but hopefully should be worth every penny.